By anonymous contributing writer
Photos from Google, Getty Images
“All lives matter.”
You’ll hear that from people who feel that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement somehow discredits other groups of people. These people would likely believe that the message of BLM is “we matter more” or “only we matter” when that could not be further from the truth, a truth most people just ignore. BLM has made it clear several times that their movement is about justice for the black lives lost at the hands of the police, a justice that is almost never rightfully served. But “All Lives Matter” isn’t the only argument you’ll hear against the BLM movement. No, there are plenty others that can easily be discredited.
Enjoy.
“What about Black-on-Black crime? You don’t care then!”
If you honestly think the black community doesn’t care about the death of their own at the hands of each other then you need to leave the conversation. It’s idiotic for anyone to have this way of thinking. The major difference between these types of violence is that the killer almost always walks away with no sentence so long as he’s a white cop. The police are sworn to serve and protect, but for many it just feels like obey and survive, even when they haven’t done anything wrong. When a black person kills another black person, he’s sentenced to prison and will likely never see the outside again, and to some people (the victim’s family) that’s the justice they seek. When a white cop kills an unarmed black man, he gets paid leave and is put back on the force. That is not justice, and it’s why you see people in the streets marching. Not just because of that one person, but because it’s an ongoing issue that exists because of the systemic racism this country embodies. Of course the black community is concerned with black-on-black crime, but when you have a system that allows police officers to murder unarmed black Americans and walk away free as a bird while justice isn’t served to the family who just lost a loved one, you bet your ass you’re going to see people in the streets marching for change.
“They shouldn’t have resisted arrest.”
My take here is that unless it is EXPLICITLY CLEAR that a black man/woman is making a GENUINE effort to resist arrest, most of what you are seeing and labeling “resisting arrest” is just the human body reacting as it normally would in that situation. Think about it, if someone had you pinned down and tried to force your arms behind your back without any regard for your safety, it’s going to feel uncomfortable to say the least, and your body’s nervous system just reacts by sending the signal to your brain saying “ow this hurts, try to get out of it.” I’m no expert on the nervous system or biology but I know that it’s incredibly difficult to lie completely still while someone is forcing your body into an awkward position.
“Violence won’t solve anything.”
I’m honestly torn on whether or not I agree here, but even if you don’t think violence is the answer, they tried it peacefully, and you ignored that, calling them disrespectful and unpatriotic SOB’s. Let me pose this question to you then, how does the oppressed make their message heard if you chose to stay silent when they were peaceful? The riots and public pressure have definitely kickstarted a wave of change that hasn’t been seen in some time, however, it was still at the expense of the city. For that, I think you have yourselves to blame; they tried it peacefully and you could have definitely listened to them and made a change, but instead you got to watch your city burn before you saw change. Was it worth not listening to a peaceful protest?
“White people get killed by the cops too.”
Alright, and? Why aren’t you guys in the streets marching for change? All Lives Matter right? Go seek justice for your loved ones who were murdered by the police! Shoot, you have the green light. Nobody is stopping a white led protest, whether it’s peaceful or violent, so go out and fight for change!
“He wasn’t a good person, he had a criminal history.”
Let’s entertain the idea that this is true, because it’s the first thing everyone jumps to in trying to justify the murder of a black man by a cop. What none of you seem to get here is that whenever a black man is wrongfully executed during a traffic stop or playing at the park, THEIR CRIMINAL HISTORY DOES NOT MATTER. Their lives did not deserve to be taken for what they were doing at that moment in time. A death sentence does not fit the “crime” of a broken taillight, a fraudulent 20 dollar bill, or even sitting in your own house.
Whatever your BS argument is, or whether it falls into one of these categories, the issue is that cops are not held accountable for murder. Plain and simple. That is the reason these protests are happening, because people are tired of seeing white cops walk free after committing murder. Imagine if we let all murders walk free; it’s just as bad as letting a percentage of them walk free. Cops who commit crimes need to be held accountable just like the rest of us, especially for murder. Their immunity needs to be stripped away, their training needs to be reevaluated, and justice needs to be carried out, for everyone.
